KOBIETY MAFII 2 (WOMEN OF MAFIA 2)
Recommended. Effing awesome. I want more. Part two is also bloody and brutal but lighter in tone as it's all fictitious, which is quite apparent, and contains a lot of humour. I laughed more than at some comedies. The action covers Poland, Morocco, Columbia and the intrigue is complex and comprehensible at the same time, cohesive, with a few good twists of action. Distinct characters, convincingly acted. I had a great time.
LIFE ITSELF
Recommended. I may not agree with the idea that what shapes our lives the most are our parents' and grandparents' tragedies but the film moved me deeply and got me thinking what it is that shapes us. Convincingly acted. Curiously with Antonio Banderas as an avuncular elderly gentleman.
WILKOLAK (WEREWOLF)
Watchable. I saw it only for the intriguing concept that the SS left the concentration camp but their dogs trained for killing remained. But it's far from terrifying, in spite of attempts of applying jump scares. Basically the dogs were ordinary ones and I love them as a rule. The movie lasts only 1 hour 28 minutes but feels twice as long due to protracted sequences and repetitions of the dogs' and prisoners' training. In between you get examples of dealing with thirst and hunger as well as psychological traumas. Violin music sounds kind of sentimental. Weird, boring, martyrological - in other words: typically Polish.
Wednesday 27 February 2019
THEN CAME YOU
Watchable. The "Just Let Me Go" song about 2/3 into the movie reflects how I felt watching it. It's silly and cheesy. One more movie about a terminally ill teenager and I'll puke. The mischievous girl has annoyingly crazy ideas and I quickly got fed up with her blabbering and pranks. But the movie's warm, light and colourful and the story clear-cut so you just sit and watch knowing it's rubbish. Better not to start.
Watchable. The "Just Let Me Go" song about 2/3 into the movie reflects how I felt watching it. It's silly and cheesy. One more movie about a terminally ill teenager and I'll puke. The mischievous girl has annoyingly crazy ideas and I quickly got fed up with her blabbering and pranks. But the movie's warm, light and colourful and the story clear-cut so you just sit and watch knowing it's rubbish. Better not to start.
Monday 25 February 2019
HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U
Watchable. I had as much fun as at part one, which you don't have to remember by the way, it's summarised and explained early on. The 1 hour 40 minutes are loaded with action, piling up new twists so you can't get bored. The plot is consistent with part 1. A few scenes were so touching I shed some tears. On the other hand some suicides were so drastic it was over the top. Light music, sometimes good, sometimes a bit worse. The finale features the Gibbs' brothers' "Stayin' Alive", performed by the Lizz. The mid-credit is a complete scene telling you what to expext in part 3.
NAPSZALLTA (SUNSET)
Walked out. Nothing much happens and even when you hear of some brutal events, it's toned down too much to evoke any emotions. Set in 1910 so maybe there is some historic background but I know nothing about history of Central Europe so it doesn't speak to me at all. Shot in grim dark brown.
Watchable. I had as much fun as at part one, which you don't have to remember by the way, it's summarised and explained early on. The 1 hour 40 minutes are loaded with action, piling up new twists so you can't get bored. The plot is consistent with part 1. A few scenes were so touching I shed some tears. On the other hand some suicides were so drastic it was over the top. Light music, sometimes good, sometimes a bit worse. The finale features the Gibbs' brothers' "Stayin' Alive", performed by the Lizz. The mid-credit is a complete scene telling you what to expext in part 3.
NAPSZALLTA (SUNSET)
Walked out. Nothing much happens and even when you hear of some brutal events, it's toned down too much to evoke any emotions. Set in 1910 so maybe there is some historic background but I know nothing about history of Central Europe so it doesn't speak to me at all. Shot in grim dark brown.
Sunday 24 February 2019
OSCARS 2019
Apparently ABC streams payably only this year. Finnish YLE is worth checking. So far usual Pro7 is working in Poland - http://freetvstream.in/de/tv/pro7.php
I hoped for one of the two "The Favourite" actresses to win Best Supporting Actress but, I guess the choice was too hard for the Academy so black Regina King, good but still on the politically correct side, won.
I'm happy "Of Fathers and Sons" did not win the documentary category.
Americans of "Vice" won Makeup and Hairstyling, instead of "Grans" ("Border") which I rooted for.
At least Ruth Carter won Costume Design for "Black Panther" but she thanked Spike Lee and not Stan Lee.
Another black win - Production Design and Set Decoration for "Black Panther" - not my choice but at least not "Roma".
Oh, no! "Roma" beat "Cold War" in Cinematography. The worst I could hear tonight.
"Game of Thrones" made it into a joke at the gala, in a song introduction.
Sound Editing - "Bohemian Rhapsody". Good. And Sound Mixing too. What a relief.
I keep hearing the gala first as the picture is delayed. But just a bit.
Queen Latifah about "The Favourite": "It's not easy to be Queen".
Javier Bardem announced the Foreign Language category in Spanish which was great but, to my horror, boring "Roma" won it.
I'm not a fan of "Mary Poppins Returns" but I loved the gentleman falling onto the gala stage from the sky hanging on an umbrella and the stage decoration during the song.
"Editing creates suspense, makes an actor look good" but "Bohemian Rhapsody" won Editing as I hoped in my opinion for masterful arranging of the order.
Mahershala Ali - one of my hopes for Actor in a Supporting Role.
Animated Feature - Spidey. I did hope for "Isle of Dogs".
And now that another song is playing, my connection broke. Surprise, surprise, https://www.brettygood.com/ has suddenly worked. And with picture and sound on time too. And in better quality.
Animated Short - Disney as usual: "Bao".
No Doc Short award for "Lifeboat". What a shame. But now, that the trailer of "Period. End of Sentence" trailer is showing in the commercial break I see how appalingly ignorant both men and women in India are about menstruation, e.g. a boy in the doc: "It's an illness which happens mostly to women."
Visual Effects announced by an actress in a special dress. "First Man" won deservedly even if I hoped for "Christopher Robin" instead.
"Shallow" sounds wonderful sung by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga on stage. He actually sounds better than her.
I haven't seen any of the live action short docs so can't comment.
Yes! Nick Vallelonga et al. "Green Book" Original Screenplay.
And yes again! Spike Lee - Adapted Screenplay "BlacKkKlansman". And reminding "the 2020 presidential election is round the corner (...) let's be on the right side of history."
"Black Panther" Best Original Score - I agree. The composer is, surprisingly, white.
Original Song "Shallow" - fine.
Barbra Streisand: "Truth is especially precious this days."
Christian Bale is skinny again.
My greatest joy this night - Rami Malek Best Actor in a Leading Role. And the speech about how "we long for stories" like the one about "a gay immigrant" who "lived his life unapologetically." Rami is first generation American, his parents came from Egypt.
The elderly black congressman's voice is trembling when talking about the 60s segregation.
Lady Gaga did not win. What a pity. Olivia Colman was fine but I rooted for Lady Gaga all along. Glenn Close ("The Wife") has been Olivia's idol for years. And Olivia "used to work as a cleaner".
Oh, no! Alfonso Cuaron Best Director for that boring "Roma" movie.
Never-aging Julia Roberts announces "Green Book" Best Picture. What a relief it's not "Roma".
On the whole I'm satisfied with the ceremony: no host, no selfies or pizzas, but politics and inside jokes abound. 3,5 hours in total.
Friday 22 February 2019
HIGH LIFE
Watchable. The beginning's so revolting it's best to skip the first 10 minutes. Also intimate parts of a baby girl are shown and I don't think it's proper. The rest is terribly slow. The director is 72 years old, I think at some age they should stop making movies, the same problem as with Michael Haneke getting slow with age. Claire Denis - time to retire! But step by step you learn what is going on and things get awfully weird though plausible since it's convincingly acted. Robert Pattinson sheds his hot vampire image: here he's nearly bald and moves the way "petty thieves and thugs" often do. The film poses an intriguing moral question. In this distorted, abhorrent microworld of a spaceship people badly crave sex yet rape is punishable, at the same time obtaining someone's semen by deception and infertilizing against one's will goes without a penalty. For science fiction fans only - it's still exhausting to watch but the concept is original. Polish actress Agata Buzek impersonates one of the female convicts and Marcin Rodak is responsible make-up and hairstyling. The pictures are brownish and dimmed whether in space or on Earth. A small screen will be better than the cinema. End credits move up and down. The beautiful song accompanying the credits is sung by Robert Pattinson himself.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3
Watchable. Sadly, after a promising 3D trailer, I only found it in 2D at the cinema. Nevertheless it's a beautiful ending to the trilogy. I actually shed some tears at the touching finale. The animation's lovely: detailed, coloured, with varying textures, lights and reflections in the pupils of the two dragons falling in love. The only minus are humans looking like dolls. But the dragons are cute. The action is a bit chaotic but funny at times, e.g. the dragon date at which Hickup gives his pet instructions how to lure White Fury. As for visuals, the highlight is the Avataresque sequence of entering the Hidden World.
GIRL
Watchable. Shows the process of sex change meticulously but evoked no emotions in me. In the subsequent meeting with a transgender lady I realized I couldn't possibly comprehend the protagonist. Their world, where they have to "deserve" and meet criteria to become physically consistent with their sex, is impermeable to people who've never experienced it. The ballet layer is paralel in that the constant transgressing the body's abilities is apparent. Still, it's all on the educational side.
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Watchable. Bright colours of wonderfully recreated clothes and interiors of the 70s stand in stark contrast with the bleak fate of African Americans presented sombrely and nostalgically. Some scenes look like a poorer version of "La La Land". I wouldn't award any Oscars. Truly surround sound.
ULASKAWIENIE (PARDON)
Walked out. Nostalgic music, dark pictures, a number of haywire cinematographic tricks making the film look like old photographs, disorganized story-telling and the plot centered round a 50+ couple transporting a coffin for 500 km through mud, rivers, woods after the second world war. Hardly enticing.
EARTHFLIGHT 3D
Recommended. Fantastic 3D with images truly coming out to the audience. Absolutely stunning visually. You get the impression you can grab a bird with your hand and their journeys offer awe-inspiring airviews of wonderful historic buildings and verdant landscapes. Informative as well, typical BBC Earth with the 3rd dimension.
It's a shame such a great movie in Poland can be seen at special children's events only.
Watchable. The beginning's so revolting it's best to skip the first 10 minutes. Also intimate parts of a baby girl are shown and I don't think it's proper. The rest is terribly slow. The director is 72 years old, I think at some age they should stop making movies, the same problem as with Michael Haneke getting slow with age. Claire Denis - time to retire! But step by step you learn what is going on and things get awfully weird though plausible since it's convincingly acted. Robert Pattinson sheds his hot vampire image: here he's nearly bald and moves the way "petty thieves and thugs" often do. The film poses an intriguing moral question. In this distorted, abhorrent microworld of a spaceship people badly crave sex yet rape is punishable, at the same time obtaining someone's semen by deception and infertilizing against one's will goes without a penalty. For science fiction fans only - it's still exhausting to watch but the concept is original. Polish actress Agata Buzek impersonates one of the female convicts and Marcin Rodak is responsible make-up and hairstyling. The pictures are brownish and dimmed whether in space or on Earth. A small screen will be better than the cinema. End credits move up and down. The beautiful song accompanying the credits is sung by Robert Pattinson himself.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3
Watchable. Sadly, after a promising 3D trailer, I only found it in 2D at the cinema. Nevertheless it's a beautiful ending to the trilogy. I actually shed some tears at the touching finale. The animation's lovely: detailed, coloured, with varying textures, lights and reflections in the pupils of the two dragons falling in love. The only minus are humans looking like dolls. But the dragons are cute. The action is a bit chaotic but funny at times, e.g. the dragon date at which Hickup gives his pet instructions how to lure White Fury. As for visuals, the highlight is the Avataresque sequence of entering the Hidden World.
GIRL
Watchable. Shows the process of sex change meticulously but evoked no emotions in me. In the subsequent meeting with a transgender lady I realized I couldn't possibly comprehend the protagonist. Their world, where they have to "deserve" and meet criteria to become physically consistent with their sex, is impermeable to people who've never experienced it. The ballet layer is paralel in that the constant transgressing the body's abilities is apparent. Still, it's all on the educational side.
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Watchable. Bright colours of wonderfully recreated clothes and interiors of the 70s stand in stark contrast with the bleak fate of African Americans presented sombrely and nostalgically. Some scenes look like a poorer version of "La La Land". I wouldn't award any Oscars. Truly surround sound.
ULASKAWIENIE (PARDON)
Walked out. Nostalgic music, dark pictures, a number of haywire cinematographic tricks making the film look like old photographs, disorganized story-telling and the plot centered round a 50+ couple transporting a coffin for 500 km through mud, rivers, woods after the second world war. Hardly enticing.
EARTHFLIGHT 3D
Recommended. Fantastic 3D with images truly coming out to the audience. Absolutely stunning visually. You get the impression you can grab a bird with your hand and their journeys offer awe-inspiring airviews of wonderful historic buildings and verdant landscapes. Informative as well, typical BBC Earth with the 3rd dimension.
It's a shame such a great movie in Poland can be seen at special children's events only.
Tuesday 19 February 2019
GULLY BOY
Watchable. Fun. A typical Bollywood from-rags-to-riches tale, hence the protagonist's nickname. A few dozens Indian rappers ensure quality hip-hop. What adds depth are other issues: Muslim men taking second wives and mistresses, children of the street who deal drugs in exchange for food and shelter, patriarchy, caste division - dabbled in but vividly apparent. Ranveer Singh looks handsome, even if funny to Europeans when he applies eyeliner. The girl forgives him his cheating on her - so sexist! The picture ends too abruptly with the first chord of the winning song. Should have been played full, especially that it's Bollywood.
GRANS (BORDER)
Watchable. Typically Swedish meaning deprived of emotions. What's more, at face value it's pretty hideous and disgusting at times. Though an Oscar for make-up and hairstyling wouldn't surprise me. The plot, based on a short story, is unusual and, due to extraordinary characters, you don't know how it's going to develop so engaging it is. Realistically enacted in spite of the weirdness. What's it about? On a deeper level about humanity, but plot-wise it's a crafty inclusion of Scandinavian folklore into the reality of contemporary world.
Watchable. Fun. A typical Bollywood from-rags-to-riches tale, hence the protagonist's nickname. A few dozens Indian rappers ensure quality hip-hop. What adds depth are other issues: Muslim men taking second wives and mistresses, children of the street who deal drugs in exchange for food and shelter, patriarchy, caste division - dabbled in but vividly apparent. Ranveer Singh looks handsome, even if funny to Europeans when he applies eyeliner. The girl forgives him his cheating on her - so sexist! The picture ends too abruptly with the first chord of the winning song. Should have been played full, especially that it's Bollywood.
GRANS (BORDER)
Watchable. Typically Swedish meaning deprived of emotions. What's more, at face value it's pretty hideous and disgusting at times. Though an Oscar for make-up and hairstyling wouldn't surprise me. The plot, based on a short story, is unusual and, due to extraordinary characters, you don't know how it's going to develop so engaging it is. Realistically enacted in spite of the weirdness. What's it about? On a deeper level about humanity, but plot-wise it's a crafty inclusion of Scandinavian folklore into the reality of contemporary world.
NIGHT FILM MARATHON - ROMANTICALLY SCARY MARATHON IN DOLBY ATMOS AND REAL LASER
Again at Helios Blue City in Warsaw, this time in a standard seat - in my opinion on the hard side so with little risk of falling asleep for me but my friend found it so comfortable she slept for nearly 3 movies and I had to nudge her a couple of times to stop her snoring. Luckily for me the horror set was showed in the most advanced technologically room. The RGB laser projector ensured the natural look of daylight shots. The Dolby Atmos provided an astonishing quality of sound, much improving even worse films. At the very beginning the display near the screening room measured the time till the start but not before subsequent films of the marathon. Also the full schedule was placed only near the ticket desk and the bar instead of near the screening room entrances or the toilets where it would have made more sense.
THE PRODIGY
Watchable. Engaging and with decent suspense but with some overused tropes. Cute boy Jackson Robert Scott is wonderful as sweet/devilish Miles. Perfect use of Dolby Atmos: you can hear a conversation from one side and music from another as if you were in a real room. Swarms of flies and a killed dog horro cliches. At the end of the credits you hear Miles humming his favourite tune.
ST. AGATHA
Recommended. The brutal thriller appears inspired by: "Rosemary's Baby", "Saw", "Misery", media news about nuns taking away women's babies after birth and scandals about sadistic nuns abusing those they were supposed to take care of. Some sequences got my heart pounding, some scenes were so disgusting I nearly puked but they were all in line with the action which kept me on the edge of the seat.
PLEDGE
Recommended. Good music. A cross of "Hostel" and "Funny Games" with a nearly-political twist, reminiscent of "Purge". The idea that the elites of politics, finance and technology have to stop seeing others as humans and keep conning the subjects it's for their prospecive good.
ATERRADOS (TERRIFIED)
Watchable. Trash. What was it about? It's loaded with scares but with poor CGIs and little sense plot-wise.
Again at Helios Blue City in Warsaw, this time in a standard seat - in my opinion on the hard side so with little risk of falling asleep for me but my friend found it so comfortable she slept for nearly 3 movies and I had to nudge her a couple of times to stop her snoring. Luckily for me the horror set was showed in the most advanced technologically room. The RGB laser projector ensured the natural look of daylight shots. The Dolby Atmos provided an astonishing quality of sound, much improving even worse films. At the very beginning the display near the screening room measured the time till the start but not before subsequent films of the marathon. Also the full schedule was placed only near the ticket desk and the bar instead of near the screening room entrances or the toilets where it would have made more sense.
THE PRODIGY
Watchable. Engaging and with decent suspense but with some overused tropes. Cute boy Jackson Robert Scott is wonderful as sweet/devilish Miles. Perfect use of Dolby Atmos: you can hear a conversation from one side and music from another as if you were in a real room. Swarms of flies and a killed dog horro cliches. At the end of the credits you hear Miles humming his favourite tune.
ST. AGATHA
Recommended. The brutal thriller appears inspired by: "Rosemary's Baby", "Saw", "Misery", media news about nuns taking away women's babies after birth and scandals about sadistic nuns abusing those they were supposed to take care of. Some sequences got my heart pounding, some scenes were so disgusting I nearly puked but they were all in line with the action which kept me on the edge of the seat.
PLEDGE
Recommended. Good music. A cross of "Hostel" and "Funny Games" with a nearly-political twist, reminiscent of "Purge". The idea that the elites of politics, finance and technology have to stop seeing others as humans and keep conning the subjects it's for their prospecive good.
ATERRADOS (TERRIFIED)
Watchable. Trash. What was it about? It's loaded with scares but with poor CGIs and little sense plot-wise.
Sunday 17 February 2019
THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART 3D
Watchable. Chaotic, especially the beginning but the whole thing is a pile of rubbish compiled out of references to LOTR, dinosaurs, Barbie's ponies, Matrix and BTTF "for very mature people". With a number of songs which additionally create genre confusion. The action is Barbie-like and very childish. When Batman's being coerced into a marriage, he says after that he "won't rise" - about one good movie reference in the whole production. Still it's not funny. Will Farrell, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks dub the original but can't be heard in Poland which is all dubbed in Polish: dialogues and songs apart from the songs over the credits of which the first is about credits which have become the main attraction. No mid- or post-credit though. Standard 3D: noticeable but nothing special.
WIJ (WE)
Watchable. Excellent electro music though incongruous with the story of a group of underage delinquents. The leader is a sociopathic, sadistic pimp, school girls prostitute themselves either out of the feeling of power over men or coerced by the pimp. Shockingly the teenagers are from decent, well-off families, adult men need very little incentive to pay them for sex and the kids seek what will sell best and what will bring popularity online (which results in pornography). The story's engaging and more and more brutal as it develops yet without extremes. Unnecessary going to and fro in time.
Watchable. Chaotic, especially the beginning but the whole thing is a pile of rubbish compiled out of references to LOTR, dinosaurs, Barbie's ponies, Matrix and BTTF "for very mature people". With a number of songs which additionally create genre confusion. The action is Barbie-like and very childish. When Batman's being coerced into a marriage, he says after that he "won't rise" - about one good movie reference in the whole production. Still it's not funny. Will Farrell, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks dub the original but can't be heard in Poland which is all dubbed in Polish: dialogues and songs apart from the songs over the credits of which the first is about credits which have become the main attraction. No mid- or post-credit though. Standard 3D: noticeable but nothing special.
WIJ (WE)
Watchable. Excellent electro music though incongruous with the story of a group of underage delinquents. The leader is a sociopathic, sadistic pimp, school girls prostitute themselves either out of the feeling of power over men or coerced by the pimp. Shockingly the teenagers are from decent, well-off families, adult men need very little incentive to pay them for sex and the kids seek what will sell best and what will bring popularity online (which results in pornography). The story's engaging and more and more brutal as it develops yet without extremes. Unnecessary going to and fro in time.
THE SISTERS BROTHERS
Watchable. Mediocre. Quite a lot of western-style shootouts but with a non-standard plot of an Indian with a chemical formula and trivia like a toothbrush being a novelty in 1851 and a flush toilet not only a novelty but a fancy luxury item. The ending resolves the most substantial intrigue but leaves you no doubt it's just an excerpt from the brothers' lives. The Indian's story's not concluded. The film also shows how decisions taken on the spur of the moment can dramatically change your life forever.
Watchable. Mediocre. Quite a lot of western-style shootouts but with a non-standard plot of an Indian with a chemical formula and trivia like a toothbrush being a novelty in 1851 and a flush toilet not only a novelty but a fancy luxury item. The ending resolves the most substantial intrigue but leaves you no doubt it's just an excerpt from the brothers' lives. The Indian's story's not concluded. The film also shows how decisions taken on the spur of the moment can dramatically change your life forever.
Thursday 14 February 2019
WSPOMNIENIE LATA (MEMORIES OF SUMMER)
Watchable. Excellent cinematography from the beginning: reflections in the puddles on the road, the walking movement. Perfectly recreated late 70s: language, behaviour, costumes, make-up, interiors, outdoors, music, radio. The story's banal but engaging, very life-like. Altogether I had a good time watching it.
LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRA: DET FORSTA MYSTERIET
Watchable. Engaging entertainment appropriate for school-age kids. More complex than the book series it's based on so quite fun for an adult too. A number of very characteristic personalities, especially teachers.
Watchable. Excellent cinematography from the beginning: reflections in the puddles on the road, the walking movement. Perfectly recreated late 70s: language, behaviour, costumes, make-up, interiors, outdoors, music, radio. The story's banal but engaging, very life-like. Altogether I had a good time watching it.
LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRA: DET FORSTA MYSTERIET
Watchable. Engaging entertainment appropriate for school-age kids. More complex than the book series it's based on so quite fun for an adult too. A number of very characteristic personalities, especially teachers.
Wednesday 13 February 2019
HELIOS BLUE CITY IN WARSAW
Opening on Valentine's Day it's the 47th in Poland and the 1st in Warsaw Helios cinema. The Polish chain started operating in smaller towns, then expanded to big ones and now is planning to open a few more movie theatres in the capital. I asked the management to open one in Saska Kępa and the MD has "taken the order".
I've never been to the US, yet the cinema has purchased some elements of the interior right there. The design is New York City style: the hall has mock brick walls and street name plaques, which, together with about 50 other original elements, have been shipped from NYC. LCD displays of trailers abound. It looks confusing at first but the space is quite small so after a while you get the grip. Just as side streets of Times Square conceal theatres, you find hidden screening rooms with names of no-longer-existent Warsaw cinemas. A hall wall features a NYC panorama and the passages leading to screening rooms display black and white photos of former Warsaw cinemas. The creators see it as a boutique cinema or a 3K one, the 3 Ks standing for: Kino Koneserów Komfortu (Comfort Connoisseurs' Cinema).
But while NYC cinemas are said to be old and run-down, the Warsaw one is state-of-art. All projectors are 4K and one screen has the Real Laser RGB technology. The problem is rather that not all movies are recorded in 4K so the eventual quality may be below the cinema standard. As for Real Laser, it means faithful colours, where even white is real white. The RGB light source laser projector guarantees distinct colours and hues which reflect the movie maker's idea of the colour, also the screen is uniformly lit. 3D will be available too but, interestingly, while in the Near East and the rest of Asia 90% of tickets sold are 3D ones, in Poland it was just 23% in the best year and last year 3% only.
The Dream rooms are fabulous. For the surcharge of 7 zlotys you get lots of leg room between the seats, which are soft but firm faux leather, with handy holders both for drinks and popcorn, and on top of that, if you press the button on the side of the seat (the one closer to the screen), the armchair lifts a footrest for you first and, if you keep pressing the button, the back reclines to an almost lying position. The superbly designed seats are better than watching from your own bed. Like the Helios chain director said, "if you fall asleep, you buy a ticket again". When I asked for air-con, I could feel the cool air straightaway though briefly. I enquired about the frequency of cleaning the seats since the footrest may get dirty from very short people's, especially children's shoes. I was assured they'd be wiped clean whenever a customer feels discomfort.
Re-runs of Polish movies of a few monts earlier are planned at 10 zl only on Tuesdays - they'll be called Kultura Dostepna (meaning: accessible culture). Live transmissions of Polish theatrical performances are coming too. An old gentleman hoped for 36 mm films screenings but it turns out such ones had been given as farewell in other cities and brought no audience. Dolby Atmos is going to be marked in the website repertoir. Dream surcharge has been set at 7 zl, following in the footsteps of Gdańsk and Katowice which already have such screening rooms. Asked about one-room cinemas, the directors were adamant that such places are an economic suicide. People simply don't visit them often enough. The management estimates the number of Warsaw inhabitants as not 1.7 m but, based on the number of phones logging in the capital, as 2.5 m. Helios has screened films in Ukrainian dubbing in other locations so, obviously, special screenings of Polish movies subtitled in English are to be offered in the capital. Commercials before screenings are to run for 25 minutes maximum. Tickets are sold already. Cheap Tuesdays mean 14.50 zl all day (+ 7 zl Dream), maximum prices are 29.50 on weekdays and 33.50 zl at weekends. The 2D and 3D price is the same. You'll need to buy 3D glasses for 3 zl at the first visit so if you keep them for the future there'll be no extra cost. A gigantic cappuccino cup at the Helios Cafe costs 14 zl. According to the managers, a well-planned cinema brings profit from day one and a full return on the investment in 6 to 7 years. A special offer for cinemaniacs may be introduced once they see who frequents the cinema. Funnily, the upcoming night marathon on Friday will be screened at rooms called: Relax - for the comedies and Moskwa (Moscow) - for the horrors. I'm already scared of the horror one. The one screen I saw - at Palladium - was huge and each detail, even skin texture, e.g. CGI Alita's or real people like James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez', was clearly visible. As Valentine's Day and the marathon night coincide with a national mourning, no music will be played in the hall. But, since lots of tickets have been bought in pre-sale, the mourning will have no impact on the repertoir.
Opening on Valentine's Day it's the 47th in Poland and the 1st in Warsaw Helios cinema. The Polish chain started operating in smaller towns, then expanded to big ones and now is planning to open a few more movie theatres in the capital. I asked the management to open one in Saska Kępa and the MD has "taken the order".
I've never been to the US, yet the cinema has purchased some elements of the interior right there. The design is New York City style: the hall has mock brick walls and street name plaques, which, together with about 50 other original elements, have been shipped from NYC. LCD displays of trailers abound. It looks confusing at first but the space is quite small so after a while you get the grip. Just as side streets of Times Square conceal theatres, you find hidden screening rooms with names of no-longer-existent Warsaw cinemas. A hall wall features a NYC panorama and the passages leading to screening rooms display black and white photos of former Warsaw cinemas. The creators see it as a boutique cinema or a 3K one, the 3 Ks standing for: Kino Koneserów Komfortu (Comfort Connoisseurs' Cinema).
But while NYC cinemas are said to be old and run-down, the Warsaw one is state-of-art. All projectors are 4K and one screen has the Real Laser RGB technology. The problem is rather that not all movies are recorded in 4K so the eventual quality may be below the cinema standard. As for Real Laser, it means faithful colours, where even white is real white. The RGB light source laser projector guarantees distinct colours and hues which reflect the movie maker's idea of the colour, also the screen is uniformly lit. 3D will be available too but, interestingly, while in the Near East and the rest of Asia 90% of tickets sold are 3D ones, in Poland it was just 23% in the best year and last year 3% only.
The Dream rooms are fabulous. For the surcharge of 7 zlotys you get lots of leg room between the seats, which are soft but firm faux leather, with handy holders both for drinks and popcorn, and on top of that, if you press the button on the side of the seat (the one closer to the screen), the armchair lifts a footrest for you first and, if you keep pressing the button, the back reclines to an almost lying position. The superbly designed seats are better than watching from your own bed. Like the Helios chain director said, "if you fall asleep, you buy a ticket again". When I asked for air-con, I could feel the cool air straightaway though briefly. I enquired about the frequency of cleaning the seats since the footrest may get dirty from very short people's, especially children's shoes. I was assured they'd be wiped clean whenever a customer feels discomfort.
Re-runs of Polish movies of a few monts earlier are planned at 10 zl only on Tuesdays - they'll be called Kultura Dostepna (meaning: accessible culture). Live transmissions of Polish theatrical performances are coming too. An old gentleman hoped for 36 mm films screenings but it turns out such ones had been given as farewell in other cities and brought no audience. Dolby Atmos is going to be marked in the website repertoir. Dream surcharge has been set at 7 zl, following in the footsteps of Gdańsk and Katowice which already have such screening rooms. Asked about one-room cinemas, the directors were adamant that such places are an economic suicide. People simply don't visit them often enough. The management estimates the number of Warsaw inhabitants as not 1.7 m but, based on the number of phones logging in the capital, as 2.5 m. Helios has screened films in Ukrainian dubbing in other locations so, obviously, special screenings of Polish movies subtitled in English are to be offered in the capital. Commercials before screenings are to run for 25 minutes maximum. Tickets are sold already. Cheap Tuesdays mean 14.50 zl all day (+ 7 zl Dream), maximum prices are 29.50 on weekdays and 33.50 zl at weekends. The 2D and 3D price is the same. You'll need to buy 3D glasses for 3 zl at the first visit so if you keep them for the future there'll be no extra cost. A gigantic cappuccino cup at the Helios Cafe costs 14 zl. According to the managers, a well-planned cinema brings profit from day one and a full return on the investment in 6 to 7 years. A special offer for cinemaniacs may be introduced once they see who frequents the cinema. Funnily, the upcoming night marathon on Friday will be screened at rooms called: Relax - for the comedies and Moskwa (Moscow) - for the horrors. I'm already scared of the horror one. The one screen I saw - at Palladium - was huge and each detail, even skin texture, e.g. CGI Alita's or real people like James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez', was clearly visible. As Valentine's Day and the marathon night coincide with a national mourning, no music will be played in the hall. But, since lots of tickets have been bought in pre-sale, the mourning will have no impact on the repertoir.
Monday 11 February 2019
ZAHRADNICTVI: RODINNY PRITEL (GARDEN STORE: FAMILY FRIEND)
Walked out. After half an hour I still didn't know what it was meant to be about. Nothing caught my interest. The pictures were all grey, foggish, not only indoors but even one with sparkling snow where the sky looked grey instead of sunlit. It just required constant effort to distinguish people and objects in this light.
Walked out. After half an hour I still didn't know what it was meant to be about. Nothing caught my interest. The pictures were all grey, foggish, not only indoors but even one with sparkling snow where the sky looked grey instead of sunlit. It just required constant effort to distinguish people and objects in this light.
Thursday 7 February 2019
LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRA: VON BROMS HEMLIGHET (JERRYMAYA'S DETECTIVE AGENCY: VON BROMS' SECRET)
Watchable. A pleasant detective story for children, too infantile for adults at times but with colours, scenography, acting and plot perfectly suited for kids. Even baddies turn out to be good persons and the finale's ingenious in scenography, music style and kind-of-miraculous saving.
Watchable. A pleasant detective story for children, too infantile for adults at times but with colours, scenography, acting and plot perfectly suited for kids. Even baddies turn out to be good persons and the finale's ingenious in scenography, music style and kind-of-miraculous saving.
Wednesday 6 February 2019
IN DEN GANGEN (IN THE AISLES)
Watchable. A drama about daily lives of supermarket shelf stackers with about a dozen quite good music pieces, occasional laughs, e.g. introducing an employee to work: "We fight with Tins, but we're on good terms with Sweets. They are, in turn, at war with Frozen Goods." but also a depressing moment towards the end. The message seems to be: loneliness kills while love lets you find beauty where you've never noticed it before.
CORKA TRENERA (A COACH'S DAUGHTER)
Watchable. The relationships between the few people are engaging and it was only after I left the cinema that I realized the movie had little point. Well made but about nothing in particular.
Watchable. A drama about daily lives of supermarket shelf stackers with about a dozen quite good music pieces, occasional laughs, e.g. introducing an employee to work: "We fight with Tins, but we're on good terms with Sweets. They are, in turn, at war with Frozen Goods." but also a depressing moment towards the end. The message seems to be: loneliness kills while love lets you find beauty where you've never noticed it before.
CORKA TRENERA (A COACH'S DAUGHTER)
Watchable. The relationships between the few people are engaging and it was only after I left the cinema that I realized the movie had little point. Well made but about nothing in particular.
Tuesday 5 February 2019
NABOSPIONEN (NEXT DOOR SPY)
Watchable. Rudimentary animation both in the drawing style and in almost robotic people movements, clearly meant for children. The kid-level detective story's engaging. Only dream sequences bring some confusion.
未来のミライ (MIRAI)
Watchable. Astonishing quality of cartoons. At first the city airview deceived me. I had the impression I was watching the real world. It repeated with kitchen equipment, a rug, another city panorama. The rest was a colourful, pleasant anime. However, the story's deeply sorrowful and nostalgic. Either for little children or for adults, especially those who have or are planning to have offspring of their own. It shows how devastating it is for kids to be overlooked, even if for the sake of their siblings. I was sobbing since both the events around the family and the imaginary trips conveyed so much despondency. Interesting how the trips resembled Mr. Scrooge's ones - into the future and into the past. The film's filled with love of family but also with the toddler's torment.
NELLYS ABENTEUER (NELLY'S ADVENTURE)
Watchable. For teenagers, even if it tells you a few inconvenient truths about the adult world ruled by financial greed and predjudice. Teenagers' world is less contextual so friendship's easier even when money gets in the way. Romania is portrayed as an unsightly, poor backwater even if with occasional awe-inspiring mountains. Shot near Sibiu,spoken in Romanian and German. Stereotypical but the kidnapping raises your tension. Outstanding truly surround sound.
DIABLO. WYSCIG O WSZYSTKO (DIABLO)
Watchable. Fun. Excellent cinematography with a variety of shooting styles, one of which - in a Warsaw club - resembles "Slepnac od swiatel" ("Blinded by the Lights"). Quality matching music. Truly surround sound. Lots of swearing mars the experience. Well acted, especially by Cezary Pazura as the ruthless gangster and toxic father Jarosz. And it all has a plot, pretty standard but decently enacted. A new character turns up in the disconnected last scene and an early mid-credit so a sequel is being planned.
Cinema City staff were cleaning the faux leather seats in the hall. I'm impressed how clean it is.
GREEN BOOK
Recommended. Harrowing. Ever seen a piano virtuoso handcuffed naked by racist homophobic police? Flagrant injustice is one impression that stick with you. Convincingly acted by the Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali duo. Especially Viggo Mortensen stands out as the working class brutish white. But it's most of all marvellously scripted. Inspired by true events unfortunately, "Green Book" was a list of establishments serving colored people in the 60s. Ethnic and class clashes abound but if the black musician's fate warmed the Italian macho to him, so will it everyone.
Watchable. Rudimentary animation both in the drawing style and in almost robotic people movements, clearly meant for children. The kid-level detective story's engaging. Only dream sequences bring some confusion.
未来のミライ (MIRAI)
Watchable. Astonishing quality of cartoons. At first the city airview deceived me. I had the impression I was watching the real world. It repeated with kitchen equipment, a rug, another city panorama. The rest was a colourful, pleasant anime. However, the story's deeply sorrowful and nostalgic. Either for little children or for adults, especially those who have or are planning to have offspring of their own. It shows how devastating it is for kids to be overlooked, even if for the sake of their siblings. I was sobbing since both the events around the family and the imaginary trips conveyed so much despondency. Interesting how the trips resembled Mr. Scrooge's ones - into the future and into the past. The film's filled with love of family but also with the toddler's torment.
NELLYS ABENTEUER (NELLY'S ADVENTURE)
Watchable. For teenagers, even if it tells you a few inconvenient truths about the adult world ruled by financial greed and predjudice. Teenagers' world is less contextual so friendship's easier even when money gets in the way. Romania is portrayed as an unsightly, poor backwater even if with occasional awe-inspiring mountains. Shot near Sibiu,spoken in Romanian and German. Stereotypical but the kidnapping raises your tension. Outstanding truly surround sound.
DIABLO. WYSCIG O WSZYSTKO (DIABLO)
Watchable. Fun. Excellent cinematography with a variety of shooting styles, one of which - in a Warsaw club - resembles "Slepnac od swiatel" ("Blinded by the Lights"). Quality matching music. Truly surround sound. Lots of swearing mars the experience. Well acted, especially by Cezary Pazura as the ruthless gangster and toxic father Jarosz. And it all has a plot, pretty standard but decently enacted. A new character turns up in the disconnected last scene and an early mid-credit so a sequel is being planned.
Cinema City staff were cleaning the faux leather seats in the hall. I'm impressed how clean it is.
GREEN BOOK
Recommended. Harrowing. Ever seen a piano virtuoso handcuffed naked by racist homophobic police? Flagrant injustice is one impression that stick with you. Convincingly acted by the Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali duo. Especially Viggo Mortensen stands out as the working class brutish white. But it's most of all marvellously scripted. Inspired by true events unfortunately, "Green Book" was a list of establishments serving colored people in the 60s. Ethnic and class clashes abound but if the black musician's fate warmed the Italian macho to him, so will it everyone.
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